Copenhagen:
Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede on Monday accused Washington of interfering in its political affairs with the visit of an American delegation this week to the Danish territory coveted by US President Donald Trump.
The White House announced Sunday that Usha Vance, the wife of US Vice President JD Vance, will visit Greenland this week with her son and a US delegation, which Egede said would include National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.
“It should be said clearly that our integrity and democracy must be respected without foreign interference,” Egede said, adding that the delegation’s visit, from Thursday to Saturday, “cannot be seen as just a private visit”.
Since returning to power in January, Trump has insisted he wants the United States to take over Greenland and even refused to rule out the use of force to achieve the aim.
Egede said Washington had been told there would be “no talks” until a new Greenlandic government was in place after March 11 general elections that left him heading a caretaker government.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, leader of the centre-right Democrats that won the election and likely future Greenlandic prime minister, has previously criticised Trump’s moves on Greenland as “inappropriate”.
“We must stand together and stand up against unacceptable treatment. Because we are the ones who decide our own future,” Egede said.
Greenland, which is seeking to emancipate itself from Denmark, holds massive untapped mineral and oil reserves, although oil and uranium exploration are banned.
According to polls, most Greenlanders support independence from Denmark but not annexation by Washington.
Trump’s son Donald Jr also made a visit of several hours to Greenland in early January.
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